I think Spanish is a great choice for a first foreign language, though.

Your first foreign language is usually the most difficult, and Spanish is relatively friendly in several areas (pronunciation isn't so bad, grammar isn't hugely complex, it uses the same alphabet as English save for a few characters, lots of familiar word roots...), so I think it's a good choice to ease you into learning foreign languages. It's also a really good springboard to other languages. Particularly Italian, Portuguese and French, but it also gives you knowledge of certain grammatical concepts and shared word roots that can be applied to lots of other languages. French seems to be favoured in schools here, but I always thought Spanish was a much better choice, even putting aside its utility for travel and communication.